Phillip Needs A Wedding Date
by B2017
Summary: Modern AU- inspired by Mike and Dave need wedding dates. Phillip Needs a date for his sisters wedding in Hawaii to shut his parents up.
1. Chapter 1

"You alright?" Anne asked, leaning round the door of Phillip's office. He was sitting there in front of his computer, still staring at the same piece of paper he had been walked she'd walked through an hour ago.

He pinched the bridge of his nose, a headache starting to form at just the thought of having to go and spend time with his family. "Um… yeah."

She raised an eyebrow at him, walking in and closing the door. "Because that was real convincing." She joked. "What's up?"

He looked up at her as she sat down opposite him, dropping the piece of paper on the desk and closing the top of his laptop. "My sister is getting married at the weekend."

"And that's a bad thing? Do you not like the guy or something?" She asked, picking up the invitation he'd just dropped. "She's getting married in Hawaii?!"

"Yep." He sighed. "Which means I get to spend a whole week trapped in a hotel with my entire family. My Mom has already called me three times to ask if I'm bringing a date."

"Are you?" Anne asked, trying to sound nonchalant. The idea of Phillip dating someone left an uncomfortable feeling in her stomach. She had to try and remind herself that they weren't together, and never would be, she didn't have any right to care. And yet she did, because now matter how hard she tried to convince herself she didn't- she wished it was her he was taking.

"No." He snorted, looking at her amused. "What- did you think I'd got some secret girlfriend hidden away none of you knew about?"

"Well… it's possible?" She felt her cheeks flush under the weight of his gaze. "I mean none of us really know what you do when you're not here?"

He laughed. "When I'm not here I sleep! And just lately it doesn't even feel like I'm doing that. This circus has kind of taken over my life, especially since P.T. took a step back."

"Right." Anne mumbled. "Didn't you say you had a date the other night though?"

"Oh, Yeah." He rolled his eyes. "My mother set me up with her. Needless to say it didn't work out." She'd been a nice enough girl, her father played golf with his father apparently and she was a lawyer- everything his mother wanted for him. She laughed at all his jokes and feigned an interest in his work with Barnum, while trying to work out when he'd be going to "get a real job". All he'd been able to think of was the fact that she wasn't Anne.

"Oh?" Anne raised an eyebrow. He shook his head, he wasn't about to get into a discussion about that with her. "Well, it'll be a vacation for you at least?"

He looked around at the piles of paper strewn all over his desk. "I haven't really got time for a vacation." He sighed. "I suppose I could take most of this with me and get it done while I'm there. Then maybe I'll have a reason to hide in my room away from my family."

"You're not going all the way to Hawaii to sit in your hotel room and stare at work." She shook her head.

"If it wasn't my sister's wedding I wouldn't be going at all." He sighed. "It's not worth the grief I'll get, trust me."

"They can't be that bad." She laughed.

"If you'd met my family you wouldn't be saying that." He sighed. "I'm going to have to take someone with me. I guess I could call… oh god, I can't ever remember her name… I'm a terrible person."

Anne laughed at the look of horror on his face. "That good eh?"

"It was awful." He groaned. "You're right I can't take her. It'll make the whole thing even worse." He dropped his head in to his hands in defeat. He could practically hear his mother already.

"I could come with you?" The words were out of her mouth before she'd thought about it and she regretted them instantly. Not because she didn't want to go- far from it- but she wasn't sure she'd be able to handle the rejection that was inevitably coming.

"You'd do that?" He looked at her in surprise.

"What girl wouldn't want to spend a week in Hawaii with _the_ Phillip Carlyle?" She teased. "I'm kidding, you don't have to take me."

His face fell. "Oh." He'd thought for a second she was serious and the idea of getting to spend a week with her without the constant interruptions of the circus had suddenly given Hawaii some appeal.

"Unless you want me to?" She asked, confused by his reaction. She wasn't really the kind of person the Carlyle family had in mind when they'd told Phillip to bring someone. She was about as far from a lawyer with a millionaire father as you could get. Yet the idea of spending a week as his girlfriend, even if they were only pretending, filled her with excitement.

"What about that guy you were seeing?" He sighed. "What was his name- Mark?"

"Mike." She corrected. "And we went on like two dates, then he met W.D. and he frightened him off." If she was being honest she'd been kind of relieved when he'd just disappeared. He was a nice guy and everything but he just wasn't… well, Phillip.

"Oh. I'm sorry." He said softly.

"It's fine, really." She said dismissively. "So- if the offer is still open I'd love to come with you… although I'd have to ask my boss if he'll let me have the time off."

Phillip's face broke into a breathtaking grin and Anne found herself grinning back at him. "I think I could probably twist his arm." He winked.

She watched as he opened his laptop up again, tapping away furiously for a couple of moments. It wasn't until he grabbed his wallet for his credit card that she realised what he was doing.

"Stop, hang on. I can give you my card to pay for it." She rummaged in her bag quickly. She wasn't entirely sure how she was going to afford it, but she'd find a way.

"Already done." He grinned, looking pleased with himself. "You're going to have to suffer through my entire family. I'm not letting you pay for it."

"I'm paying you back." She sighed unhappily.

"Not a chance." He laughed, standing up from the desk and gathering his things up to put in his bag.. "I suppose I'd better go home and start packing. It looks like we're going to Hawaii tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" Her heart skipped with a mix of excitement and nerves. She suddenly wondered what on Earth she was supposed to wear. She was pretty sure she didn't have anything even vaguely suitable for something like this. What had she been thinking?

Phillip nodded. "I'll pick you up at 9am if that's okay? Our flight is at lunch time. Obviously, if you come to your senses before then and change your mind I won't blame you."

"I'm coming with you, don't worry." She laughed, following him out of the office.

He paused to lock the door of his office. "I'll see you in the morning then." She smiled as she headed for the exit.

"Anne?" He called as she walked away from him. She stopped and turned to face him. "Thank you, really."

"See you in the morning Phillip." She smiled.

* * *

Anne let out a low whistle under her breath as she stood outside her apartment building the next morning, Phillip loading her suitcase into the back of his outrageously expensive car.

"What?" He pulled his sunglasses off to look at her as he closed the boot.

"Nothing." She smiled, suddenly feeling even more nervous than she had done. "Just admiring the car, that's all. How come you don't drive this to work?" The shiny silver Audi was brand new and gleaming. She didn't like to think how many years of her salary it would have cost.

"It was a present from my father." Phillip told her grimly as he slid into the driver's seat. "A ridiculously unnecessary one too given that I walk absolutely everywhere. I keep trying to return it but he won't have it. Still, it's come in handy today I suppose." She climbed into the passenger seat beside him.

Anne nodded silently. If she was being honest she often forgot quite how wealthy Phillip's family, and by default Phillip, really was. At work he just seemed like he was one of them. She was in way, way over her head here and they hadn't even left yet. Her stomach flipped again as Phillip signalled and joined the traffic headed for the airport.

Arriving at the airport didn't do anything to settle her nerves either. It was like she'd been swept up into another world. She found herself sat in the business class lounge opposite Phillip, a glass of champagne in her hand that someone had handed her as they'd come in watching in bewilderment as Phillip flipped through the newspaper.

"Are you okay?" He asked, looking up at her. "You've been very quiet."

She drained the last of the drink and set the glass down on the table between them. "I'm fine. I just… I um… I forget sometimes, y'know? That this is what your life is actually like."

He laughed quietly. "Things would be a lot simpler without all of this believe me."

"Really?" She frowned.

"My parents entire lives have been all about their social standing and what other people think of them. If my father hadn't inherited all this money and been so successful they wouldn't have an issue with that fact that I'm not married or CEO of some huge company. It might be enough for them that I have a work I adore and I'm happy. But they're not those kind of people, because all they think about is money and what people think of them." He sighed. "Like this whole weekend, it's not really about my sister- it's all about putting on a show for everyone else who is there."

"Oh." Anne was rather stunned into silence. "I've never thought about it like that."

He smiled, folding his newspaper up and dropping it on to the table beside her glass. "Sorry, I shouldn't have said that. They just wind me up, that's all." Just the thought of spending a week confined with his parents was giving him a headache. The fact he was going to have Anne there to keep him sane was the only thing keeping him going. "Anyway, we'd better get going. They're calling our flight." He pointed at the screen and picked up both of their bags.

"I can take that." She protested, following after him. He paused to let her catch up but didn't let her carry her bag.

"Thank you for this, I mean really." He said again as they stood in line waiting to board the plane.

"It's my pleasure." She smiled. "Although we'd better get our story straight on the plane… I don't want to drop myself in it."

He grinned at her for a moment.

"What?" She asked when he didn't say anything.

"Just thinking about how lucky I am that for some insane reason you agreed to do this with me." He smiled.

"You know." She winked. "I'm starting to think this might be kind of fun."

"So, what do you want to tell them? I'm a lawyer or…" she suggested, walking beside him as they made their way down the tunnel that led to the plane.

"You don't need to come up with some ridiculous story. I'd much rather you were yourself." He cut in.

"Really?" She looked surprised. Surely he wouldn't want his family knowing he was at the wedding with a trapeze artists. She somehow doubted they'd approve.

"Really." He smiled as they boarded the plane, turning left into the business class section to find their seats.

* * *

The early flight he'd booked them meant they were the first of the group to arrive at the hotel. The rest of them were due to arrive either later that evening or the next morning. He was grateful, he needed a couple more hours of peace to psych himself up for his parents. He smiled and thanked the receptionist who handed them the keys to their room, then realised his mistake. "I'm sorry, I didn't think. Of course they've only booked one room." He turned and looked at Anne as they stood waiting for the elevator. "I'll go back to reception and see if they've got another room I can book for me and then-"

"Phillip." The elevator arrived and she stepped inside, waiting for him to follow her. "It's fine, really. I thought the whole point of this was to convince your parents I was your date? I'm not sure how convincing it'll be if you're staying at the other end of the hotel." She joked.

He followed her inside and hit the button for the fifth floor. "Are you sure?"

She nodded. "You need to relax Phillip. This is supposed to be a vacation." The elevator pinged to signal their arrival on the fifth floor. She wheeled her suitcase out and followed him down the hallway.

"Okay then." He nodded, chewing his lip nervously as he unlocked the door to their room. "But if you change your mind it's fine. I really don't mind paying for another room."

She almost laughed as she followed him into the room. It was enormous, easily bigger than her apartment at home. The whole back wall was glass with a balcony that looked out over the ocean. It was as beautiful, and clearly expensive, as the rest of the hotel. She'd never seen anything like it. "This is amazing." She breathed, dropping her suitcase at the foot of the huge king size bed and opening the doors onto the balcony.

"I've always loved it here." He agreed, leaning against the balcony beside her.

"You've been before?" She asked, glancing over at him.

He nodded. "We used to come as a family every summer. My sister has always loved it. She's been saying ever since I can remember she was going to get married here."

Anne smiled. "That's sweet."

"I just hope she's marrying him because he makes her happy and not because it's what my father wants." He sighed.

She reached out and squeezed his arm gently. "I can't wait to meet her."

"Anything she tells you, well any of them tell you, it's not true." He smirked.

"Oh?" She raised an eyebrow. "Am I going to get to hear all kinds of stories about what the young Phillip Carlyle got up to?"

He rolled his eyes. "I'm afraid so."

"Don't worry, your secrets are safe with me." She laughed. "Have I got time to shower before we have to be anywhere?"

He nodded. "Yeah you've got plenty of time. I'm going to try and get some of my work done before the chaos begins."

"Chaos?" She stopped in the doorway and turned to look at him.

"We're scheduled to meet everyone by the pool for drinks this evening." He sighed. "You might want to brace yourself because you're about to meet the entire Carlyle family in one go."

She laughed. "How bad can it be?" She called as she disappeared into the bathroom.

* * *

When she came out of the bathroom half an hour later he was still sat at the table on the balcony staring at his laptop intently. She realised as he walked out that he'd changed into a pair of shorts and a blue shirt ready for them to go and meet his family.

"You need to learn how to take a break." She joked, sitting down beside him.

"I just need to finish this. Give me five minutes, sorry." He sighed, glancing up at her over the screen. "Wow, you look nice." He breathed.

"Are you trying to say I don't look nice normally?" She joked. She was secretly pleased though. She'd been more than a little worried the clothes she'd brought with her weren't going to be smart enough. She'd discovered as she stood in front of her wardrobe wondering what to pack that she didn't really own much that wasn't either gym clothes or pyjamas. She'd had a very limited selection to choose from.

He shook his head. That wasn't what he meant at all. The teal sundress she was wearing was a big change from what he was used to seeing her in, but she always looked amazing whatever she wore. He didn't know how many times he'd caught himself staring when they'd been at work and had to remind himself to snap out of it. "That wasn't what I meant, you always look good. You just… that dress really suits you." He looked back down at his computer, feeling the blush creep across his cheeks. It was going to be a long week.

She didn't tease him any further, she could see how uncomfortable he was already. "So, is there anyone I should look out for tonight?" She asked.

He looked up at her again. "All of them?" He offered with a half smile.

She laughed, her eyes sparkling mischievously. "If I didn't know better I'd think you were trying to scare me off."

"God no." He shot back. "You can't go and leave me here with them all on my own." His panic subsided somewhat as he saw her mischievous expresssion.

"I was only joking, relax Phillip. It'll be fun."

"You and I have got very different ideas of fun." He grumbled, shutting the lid of his laptop. He glanced at his watch. "But we're here, and at least I've got you to keep me sane. I suppose we'd better go and get this over with."

She stood up, taking the hand he held out to her, surprised by the gesture.

"Gotta make sure you don't run off and leave me with them." He joked with a wink as they walked out of their room and headed for the bar.

She laughed quietly, trying not to think about the way her hand fitted perfectly with his. Her heart was hammering in her chest as his thumb absentmindedly traced a pattern across her knuckles as they stood waiting for the elevator. It was going to be a very long week if just holding his hand was going to have this kind of effect on her.

* * *

She was a little shocked at the sheer number of people gathered at the bar when they walked in. Surely they couldn't _all_ be part of the Carlyle family? She gripped Phillip's hand a fraction tighter and he gave her a reassuring squeeze back. "Don't worry, I won't let go of you." He whispered in her ear, his breath warm against her skin.

"Phillip!" They both wheeled round to find his parents making a beeline for them. "It's so lovely to see you." Mrs Carlyle swept him up in a hug as Anne stood beside him awkwardly, his hand still holding on to hers tightly.

"Mom, Dad." Phillip smiled, taking a step back. "This is Anne."

"Lovely to meet you dear." Mrs Carlyle had pulled Anne into a hug before she knew what was happening. "You look lovely."

"Thank you." Anne smiled, taking a subconscious step closer to Phillip as Mrs Carlyle released her. "I love your dress."

"I like her Phillip!" His Mom announced triumphantly, grinning at them both. He didn't miss the face of disapproval his father pulled.

"So Anne, what is it you do?" Mr Carlyle asked. The way he said it implied he already knew the answer.

Anne looked to Phillip uncertainly, he nodded slightly in encouragement. "Trapeze, sir."

"So you're from that circus." His disapproval was clear in his voice.

"Richard." Mrs Carlyle hissed. "Stop it. I think it's lovely that Phillip has finally found someone."

"Thank you Mom." Phillip smiled tightly. His arm wound protectively around Anne's waist as he looked at his father, almost challenging him to say something.

"You'd better go and get yourselves a drink and find your sister quickly." Mrs Carlyle suggested. "Before everything gets started!"

"Yes, come on darling." Phillip smiled at Anne, his hand on her waist gently pulling her towards the bar with him. "I'm sorry." He whispered as soon as they were out of earshot.

She turned to look at him, caught by surprise by just how close together their faces were. If she moved forward an inch her lips would be… she stopped herself, a blush creeping up her face as she scolded herself for getting carried away. She was there to play the part of his girlfriend, it didn't mean he actually wanted her to be. "They seem…" she murmured.

"Like terrible people?" He offered as they reached the bar.

She laughed quietly. "I wasn't going to phrase it quite like that… your Mom seems okay?"

"She's definitely the lesser of two evils." He agreed. The waiter behind the bar passed them a glass of champagne each before they could speak. Phillip thanked him and turned back to Anne. "Don't worry, we'll try and stay away from them as much as we can."

Anne sipped at her drink. Alcohol was going to be required if everyone there was going to look at her the way Phillip's father had. She drained her glass quickly without even realising.

"Here." Phillip handed her his glass which was still full.

"Oh no, it's okay. I can get myself another one." She fumbled in her purse.

"It's an open bar, my father's paying so drink as much as you like." He laughed. "But I need you to drink at least most of mine so I don't have to."

"Oh?" She took the glass he was holding out to her. He picked her empty one up off the bar and held it.

"I've been sober for a year Anne, I'm not going to screw it up now…. but, if I haven't got a glass in my hand the whole time people are going to keep bringing me drinks." He gestured at the empty glass he was now holding in his hand.

"Oh." She nodded. "You've done this before."

He nodded. "Mind you, at least I've got some good company this time. That should make this a bit easier to suffer through."

She felt her cheeks flush scarlet again. "I'm really glad you brought me."

"I'm really glad you came."


	2. Chapter 2

She'd lost count of the number of people she'd been introduced to. They'd all regarded her with the same curious look, as though they were shocked to actually see Phillip with someone. She was beginning to understand why Phillip had been quite so anxious about going there alone.

"Phillip!" They both turned away from the man she was fairly sure had been introduced as Phillip's cousin as someone called his name from behind them.

It was obvious to her that the woman speaking was his sister from the way he reacted, sweeping her up into a hug and spinning her around. There was none of the reluctance that there had been to talk to other members of his family. That and the fact that she was the spitting image of his mother, tiny and blonde with the same sparkling blue eyes as Phillip.

"Hey Ash!" He grinned, letting her back down. "James." He smiled a polite greeting at the man stood behind her.

"You came!" Ashley jabbed his arm playfully. "I kept waiting for you to call with some pathetic excuse."

Phillip rolled his eyes. "I'm not going to miss my little sisters wedding am I?"

His sister seemed to notice Anne stood there beside him for the first time. "Who's this?" She asked, smiling warmly.

Phillip reached back and wound his arm around Anne's waist again, pulling her in towards him. "This is Anne. Anne this is my sister Ashley."

Ashley stared at Anne for a second. "Mom said you were bringing a date- I thought you'd just said it to shut her up. Hi, it's lovely to meet you!" She grabbed Anne and taking her by surprise pulled her into a hug. "I'm so glad you're here!"

"Thank you for having me." Anne smiled politely, retreating back into the safety of Phillip's arms as soon as she was released. Phillip put his arm back around around her, his fingers grazing softly across the bare skin of her back. It sent a shiver up her spine. She wondered for a second if he'd heard the way her breath hitched in her throat, his fingers continuing to trace patterns softly across her back she turned back to his sister.

"I've got so many stories to tell you about Phillip this weekend Anne!" Ashley said excitedly. Phillip groaned beside her. "You have to come to the spa with Mom and I tomorrow, I insist!"

"I don't-" Phillip tried to cut in.

"You can go and play golf with James, Dad and his dad." She announced. She grabbed her husband to be's hand. "We've got to get going, but I'll see you in the spa tomorrow lunch time? Don't you even think about trying to get her to bail on me Phillip Carlyle! You know I'll find out!" She disappeared off in to the crowd, James in tow before either of them had a chance to say anything else.

"Sorry." Phillip mumbled apologetically. He turned to face Anne, his arm still around her waist and she was taken aback for a moment by the intimacy of the moment. Their bodies were inches apart, his hand still resting against the bare skin of her back. She could see her reflection in his blue eyes as they stood there, he looked at her with an unreadable expression. For a moment it seemed as though it could've just been the two of them, alone under the twinkling fairy lights. She found herself wondering what it would be like to close that remaining bit of distance between them and press her lips to his.

The moment was shattered somewhat by the yawn she couldn't suppress. "Come on." Phillip laughed. "Let's get you to bed before you fall asleep standing here."

She didn't argue, she was dead on her feet. A combination of a long day of travelling and no sleep the night before had caught up with her. The idea of going to bed sent a whole new wave of nerves flooding through her though.

She was quiet, he noticed, as they walked back to their room hand in hand. He was desperate to know what she was thinking about, but at the same time terrified to ask. He wondered if she was regretting being there with him. "You know." He stared apprehensively as they reached the door to their room. "I could still go down to reception and get another room."

She unlocked the door and stepped inside, turning around to look at him quizzically when he didn't immediately move to follow her. "You do know you're being ridiculous, right?" She frowned, hands on her hips and her foot propping the door open as she waited for him to follow her.

He laughed quietly. "I think you'll find I was being a gentleman. I'm well aware that you didn't sign up to come halfway across the country to be forced to share a bed with me." He locked the door behind them and turned to face her.

She was stood beside the bed and he didn't miss the way she rolled her eyes at him. "Phillip, this bed is bigger than my apartment I'm pretty sure. You're still being ridiculous. Although if you snore and keep me awake I'm going to kill you because I'm pretty sure this is the most tired I've ever been."

"Got it. No snoring." He nodded.

He disappeared into the bathroom for a moment. When he came back out she grabbed her pyjamas and wash bag, heading for the bathroom to get changed. She locked the door behind herself and then looked at the pyjamas she'd packed in her hurry that morning. Well, calling them pyjamas was probably being a bit generous. It was an old tshirt of hers and a tiny pair of checkered shorts that she suddenly wished were a lot longer than they were. She had to remind herself that Phillip had seen her in her outfit for the show and her ratty work out clothes when she'd been practicing. She scraped her hair back and took her makeup off, taking a couple of deep breaths and telling herself he'd never look at her anyway so it didn't matter.

But it did matter- to her anyway.

He was in bed when she came out of the bathroom, propped up against the headboard frowning at something on his phone. He glanced up as she climbed into bed next to him. "Sorry, this will only take a minute."

She stifled a yawn, settling herself amongst all the pillows. The bed was enormous and ridiculously comfortable. Not that it would've made any difference, she was so tired she felt like she would've fallen asleep standing up given the chance. "Do you ever stop working?" She teased, turning to face him.

He quickly sent the email he'd been writing back to P.T., dropped his phone on the bedside table and turned to face her. She was only a few inches away, her hair splayed across the pillows as she blinked at him sleepily. He couldn't help but think he'd never seen anything so beautiful. "I should probably learn how to do that." He smiled ruefully.

"You should." She nodded, rolling on to her side to face him. She found herself wondering what it would be like to shuffle those few inches closer to him so he'd be holding her. She imagined it would be just as wonderful as being in his arms all night at the bar.

"P.T. did tell me to stop emailing him." Phillip admitted sheepishly. "Apparently they can manage without us for a week."

"He's right." Anne nodded, battling to keep her eyes open.

"I know." Phillip smiled. "So I guess you'll have to teach me how to actually go on vacation and relax because I'm not sure I remember."

"Mmmm… 'kay." Anne mumbled sleepily. He could see on her face she was seconds away from falling asleep. He found himself smiling as he watched her for a moment before he turned off the light.

* * *

When she woke the next morning she was hot- that was the first thing she noticed. As she tentatively opened one eye she was momentarily confused by her surroundings. Then she remembered she was in Hawaii with Phillip, and that the warmth she could feel was from the fact she'd somehow ended up with her head on his bare chest, her legs interlaced with his and his arms around her during the night.

She snuck a peek up at him to find he was still fast asleep, his hair tousled and his face peaceful. For once he wasn't frowning and didn't look like he was worried about a hundred different things. She contemplated moving for a second, to spare herself the embarrassment of still being in that position when he woke up but as she went to untangle herself his arms tightened around her automatically. She didn't put up much of a fight, relaxing her head back against him and allowing herself to drift back off to sleep. It was still dark outside after all and she couldn't remember the last time she'd actually had a lie in.

* * *

She was still asleep when he woke up, curled up right against him despite the enormous bed. He wished for a moment that they could stay there forever and not go back to the real world. His mind wandered and he started thinking about what it would be like to wake up like that every morning. His heart sunk thinking about the fact he'd never know.

It was still dark outside when she woke again, the time difference had well and truly messed with her body clock. She was still pressed up against Phillip and she wondered if he was awake yet. She heard him laugh quietly as her stomach growled hungrily which answered her question.

"Morning." She smiled, turning to face him and carefully putting some distance between them.

"Hungry?" He laughed.

"Maybe." She joked. "What time is it?"

"4am." He groaned. "I'm starving."

"If we were at home you would've been at work for hours by now."

"I know." Phillip groaned. "At least we don't really have to do anything today."

"Yes we do." Anne sat up, grinning mischievously.

"We do?" He tried to remember what it was he'd forgotten.

"I believe I promised to show you how to actually take a vacation without worrying about work!" She grinned.

"Oh." His face fell and she felt the disappointment wash over her. He saw the look on her face. "No, no. It's not that I don't want to it's just…"

"What?" She frowned.

"I seem to remember you promised you'd go to the spa with my Mom and Sister and signing me up to play golf to get rid of me." He raised an eyebrow at her.

"Oh, Yeah." She laughed. "Your sister was going to tell me all your secrets!"

He cringed. He didn't even want to think about the kind of stuff Ashley might come out with. "So as much as I'd love to, whatever you've got planned might need to wait until tomorrow unless you want her to come up here and actually drag you down there. She wasn't kidding!"

Anne swallowed nervously. The thought of being alone with Phillip Mom and Sister was mildly terrifying to say the least.

"You'll be fine. Ashley's okay, really. And my Mom seems to like you." Phillip smiled encouragingly. "Meanwhile I'll be stuck playing golf with my father."

"You're not worried she might tell me all your secrets then?" Anne joked.

Phillip laughed. "I think I trust you enough to keep my secrets."

"I'm honoured!" She grinned.

"You should be." He winked. Her stomach growled again. "Come on, I'll go and shower and we'll see if we can find you some food before Ashley kidnaps you for the day!"

* * *

The restaurant was practically deserted when they sat down for breakfast but quickly filled up. They picked a table tucked away in the corner, Phillip hoping they'd get away without bumping in to any members of his extended family who might insist on joining them. He just wanted to spend some time alone with Anne.

"Thanks again, for doing this with me." He said quietly, putting his knife and fork down as he finished his food.

"You don't have to keep doing that." She rolled her eyes at him, draining the last of her coffee.

"What?"

"Thanking me." She laughed. "It's not like this is some kind of punishment. I'm on vacation in Hawaii and about to go to the spa for the day."

"But you do have to put up with me and my family all week." He reminded her.

"I don't know why you find it so hard to believe that I might actually want to spend time with you." She said softly, the blush creeping up her neck as he stared at her for a long moment.

"Do you?" He asked hesitantly. His mind was racing trying to work out what she meant. Had he been wrong about her not being interested after all? His heart skipped a beat at the possibility.

"I-"

"Anne! There you are!" Ashley appeared beside the table fork nowhere. "I'm so glad I found you! We've got to get going!"

"I-" Anne tried to protest, desperately wanting to finish their conversation. Ashley had already grabbed her by the arm and pulled her to her feet. Considering how tiny she was there was no arguing with the woman.

"Can you give us a minute Ash? Please?" Phillip pleaded. "We were kind of in the middle of a conversation here?"

"Nope." Ashley grinned. "You can finish later. We have a spa day to get to! Dads meeting you at reception at 10, have fun!" She kept her grip on Anne's hand and dragged her out of the restaurant before Phillip had the chance to say another word.

* * *

Anne had to admit, as annoyed as she'd been when Ashley had interrupted, that the spa was pretty relaxing. It wasn't like it was something she'd ever get to do at home- there definitely wasn't going to be enough spare money for that- and that made it even more exciting. That, and the fact Ashley's enthusiasm was contagious. She'd chatted excitedly about the wedding, their honeymoon and everything else all day as well as telling Anne countless stories about stupid things Phillip had done growing up.

The three of them sat in a row, wrapped in big fluffy robes with a glass of champagne in hand getting a pedicure and she realised she was the happiest and most relaxed she'd been in months. It was nice to get away for a week and not have the pressure of performing every night, as much as she loved her job she had definitely needed a break.

"So." Ashley started, turning to face Anne. "Tell us about you and Phillip."

"Yes, please do dear." Mrs Carlyle chipped in. "The boy doesn't tell me anything."

Anne shifted uncomfortably as they both stared at her. "What do you want to know?"

"How did you meet?" Ashley asked excitedly.

"The circus." Anne smiled. "I think Phillip told you, I do trapeze with my brother? Barnum had persuaded Phillip to come and join us and the two of them were standing on the balcony watching us. I swung up and as I looked Phillip was just standing there staring." She could remember that moment as though it had been the day before.

"Oh wow." Ashley breathed. "That's so romantic! I met James at the office which is kind of less exciting! So did you know right then, that you loved him?"

"Ashley." Mrs Carlyle scolded. "Sorry Anne, you don't have to answer that."

There was a paused for a moment. "I think I probably did." Anne admitted.

Ashley looked like she was about to burst. "I'm so happy for you two! Isn't it so nice to see Phillip with a nice girl finally?" She turned to look at her Mom.

Mrs Carlyle sipped at her drink, nodding slightly. "He seems to actually like you which is nice. I thought he was going to have persuaded someone else to come with him to shut us all up like last time. Oh, what was that girls name?"

"Leanne? Lauren? Lucy?" Ashley suggested. "I can't even remember. She was terrible."

"She was." Mrs Carlyle nodded. "And the one before her. Nicky? God they were awful."

Anne looked down uncomfortably. She wondered if they were going to start talking about her in the same way after she'd left.

"Sorry, you must think we're terrible people." Ashley cringed. "I just… Well, there's been a lot of women that have tried to date my brother. Most have them have been after him for his money and he's never paid any real attention to any of them. It's just so nice to see him so happy."

"It really is." Mrs Carlyle smiles. "And please, just ignore anything my husband says to you. He can be a bit of an idiot but he means well." Ashley nodded in agreement.

Anne smiled back at them, not knowing what to say. "Thank you for letting me come with you, it's been really fun. I should probably get going though." She hadn't realised when they said spa day that they'd quite literally meant they were serious about spending the entire day in there.

"We do need to get going but I'm not done with you yet." Ashley laughed as the three of them got up.

Mrs Carlyle gave them a knowing smile. "I'll leave you two to it, have fun girls."

"I feel like I've missed something." Anne said warily as Ashley led her out of the spa.

"We're supposed to be having a big family dinner tonight. The boys won't be back from golf for another couple of hours so I thought it might be fun to get you all dolled up and surprise Phillip." Ashley announced excitedly. "I've seen the way he's been looking at you, I don't think it'll take much for his eyes to pop out of his head.

Anne laughed nervously. Ashley still had her wrist in a vice like grip so she suspected she didn't have much choice in the matter.

"I need to get to know my future sister in law anyway!" Ashley beamed.

"I don't think-" Anne started nervously.

Ashley turned to face her as they reached her hotel room. "I know my brother Anne. I have never seen him look at someone the way he looks at you. I can't believe I'm finally going to have a sister!"

Anne didn't argue, she had a feeling it was going to be rather pointless. She was after all there to play the part of Phillip's girlfriend- she wasn't sure what she'd been expecting. Maybe his family to be less convinced he was in love with her? Because she knew deep down it was never going to happen.

Ashley pulled her in to the room and sat her down at a chair in front of the mirror. There were more hair products and makeup laid out on the table than Anne had ever seen in her life and she couldn't help but laugh. "How long have you been planning this?"

Ashley looked guilty for a second. "Since I saw you last night?" She laughed nervously. "I even managed to send Mom up to your room to get your makeup and clothes for me."

Anne couldn't help but laugh. "You're organised. I'll give you that."

Ashley picked up a hairbrush. "Lets do this!" She grinned.

* * *

"Wow." Anne breathed, looking at her reflection in the mirror. "You're good at this."

Ashley laughed. "Ask Phillip, I practiced on him a lot when we were kids."

"Now there's an image." Anne smirked.

"Mom did bring a couple of your dresses down here." Ashley said, walking over to the wardrobe. "But I have got this and I think it would look amazing on you." She held out a hanger with a black dress on to Anne.

"Okay." Anne nodded. "Thank you, this has been so fun!"

"It'll be even more fun when you get to see Phillip's face."

* * *

"Holy shit." Phillip breathed, watching his sister and Anne walk down to the bar arm in arm. James who was standing beside him gave a low whistle.

Anne felt her cheeks flush as she met Phillip's eye. "You're right, this is fun." She murmured to Ashley who laughed under her breath.

"Hey sweetie." Ashley let go of Anne as they reached the boys. "Good round of golf?"

James nodded. "It was okay. You look amazing."

Phillip stared at Anne for a long moment. Her hair hung in smooth glossy curls around her face, her eyes sparkled as she smiled at him. The sleeveless black dress she had on had virtually no back to it he realised as she turned around to grab herself a drink and she looked incredible.

As Anne turned back to him, glass of wine in hand, he realised he was still staring. "You look amazing." He whispered in her ear, winding his arm around her waist.

"She does, doesn't she? You're a lucky boy Phil." Ashley butted in. James nodded in agreement and Anne smiled awkwardly. "Come on James, we'd better go find our seats. See you two in there." With a quick wink at Anne she was gone.

"How long did she kidnap you for?" Phillip whispered as Ashley and James walked across.

His warm breath on her neck made every hair on her body stand on end. "We had a lot of fun." Anne smiled.

"In the same way I used to have fun when she used to use me as her doll?" He joked.

"She told me all about that." Anne laughed. "I really like her."

"Well, it seems like she really likes you too." He smiled. "And you do, look amazing, really. Not that you don't usually it's just… well… just wow."

Anne laughed, she couldn't help herself. "It's not quite the same as my ratty old gym leggings is it?"

"You look great in those two." He whispered. His thumb continued to trace absently across the bare skin of her back as he looked at her. For a moment, standing there under the hundreds of twinkling fairy lights that adorned every pillar of the bar, she almost thought that he might kiss her.

Then he seemed to snap himself out of the moment, removing his hand from her back and offering it to her to hold instead. "Well I don't know about you but I'm starving. We'd better go and find our seats." He suggested quickly.

She nodded in agreement, taking his hand and following him, trying not to feel the wave of disappointment that came crashing over her. She should never have let Ashley convince her he had feelings for her in the first place, then she wouldn't have had to deal with the disappointment of realising he didn't after all.


	3. Chapter 3

"Are you okay, you've been very quiet all night?" Phillip asked, his voice low in her ear as they stood at the bar. He'd been watching her out of the corner of his eye all evening as she'd picked at her food and barely said a word through dinner. Now standing beside him at the bar she looked uncomfortable almost, like something was worrying her but he was struggling to work out what.

"I'm fine. Got a headache." She mumbled.

"We can go back, it's getting late." Phillip quickly suggested.

Anne's stomach flipped. She was far from convinced that being alone in a room with Phillip was going to do anything to help the way she was feeling. The thought of spending another night sharing a bed with him filled her with dread.

"I might go back and have a lie down but you should stay here, spend some time with your family." She looked down at her feet as she spoke.

"Are you sure everything's okay?" He asked again. The uneasy feeling in his stomach told him he already knew the answer to that question, he just couldn't quite work out what had happened.

"Fine." She nodded.

"Okay." He said uncertainly, setting his glass down on the bar. "I've had more than enough of my family for one day so I'll come back with you."

"Okay." She agreed, somewhat defeated. She had actually got a splitting headache, it wasn't a total lie, brought on she imagined from her mind racing the entire evening trying to work out what everything meant and what she was supposed to do. All she wanted to do was take some Advil and lie in a dark room until it subsided, she hadn't got it in her to get in an argument with Phillip.

The walk to the room was mercifully silent and she was immensely thankful. The pounding in her head had intensified to the point where she could barely bring herself to keep her eyes open to see where she was going. Everything seemed far too bright and it didn't help that the stupid heels Ashley had convinced her to wear were pinching her feet with every step she took.

Phillip seemed to sense that she wasn't okay, his hand firmly grasping her elbow to keep her upright as they walked down the hallway to their room. She was grateful, as much as she wanted to pull her arm away from him, for the fact that he knew her well enough to know she wasn't okay.

"Come and sit down." He said softly as he unlocked the door to their room, guiding her over to the bed and gently pushing her down. "You don't look too good."

"Wow, Thanks." She rolled her eyes and winced. She couldn't remember the last time she'd had a migraine, but she couldn't say she'd missed them.

"You know I didn't mean it like that." He sighed. She tentatively opened an eye as she felt his fingertips skin across her ankle, then realised he was unbuckling the strap on her heels. The relief in her feet was instantaneous as he pulled them off and threw them aside.

He disappeared for a second, reappearing with a couple of Advil and some water. "Thanks." She murmured, taking them from him. It really didn't help her confusion about what he wanted from her when he was there like this, being all sweet and caring. She couldn't even begin to think about it in that moment, her head hurt more than enough already. She gulped the Advil down.

Phillip rummaged around looking for her pyjamas as she sat on the edge of the bed with her eyes squeezed shut. She'd gone deathly pale, even under all the makeup and he wanted to ask her why she hadn't said something sooner. He felt a pang of guilt, wondering if she'd stayed there because she felt like she had to for him.

"We need to get you out of that dress Anne, as gorgeous as you look." He said quietly. And she did look incredible in it, an image he'd almost certainly never forget.

"Mmm." She groaned. The idea of standing up was nauseating. She wasn't even sure how Ashley had got her in to the dress in the first place never mind how she was supposed to get out of it. Surely she could just sleep in it?

"Do you want me to help you?" He asked quietly, his hands hovering near the zipper nervously. He felt as though he might be crossing some kind of line.

"Please." She whispered. "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologise. You'd do the same for me." He whispered, sliding the zipper down. She shuffled a little on the edge of the bed until the bottom of the dress was free and he could pull it over her head. He quickly passed her her pyjamas. She pulled them on and flopped back on the bed with a sigh. He folded her dress and then tucked her in to bed.

"Thank you." She mumbled as he climbed into bed beside her.

* * *

When he woke, the room still in darkness and the bed beside him cold and empty he had a moment of heart stopping panic. Then he noticed the balcony doors slightly ajar, the curtains blowing in the breeze and felt himself relax slightly in the knowledge that she hadn't run off and left him yet .

He slipped out of bed and stood in the doorway for a moment, watching her. She was sitting cross legged on the sofa on the balcony, wrapped in a blanket. "Mind if I join you?" He asked quietly.

She visibly flinched at the sound of his voice. "Jeez." She muttered, turning to look at him.

"Sorry." He held his hands up in surrender. "I didn't mean to sneak up on you. I woke up and you were gone, I was worried."

"I couldn't get back to sleep." She sighed, turning back to stare out at the ocean below them. It was deserted, the only sound the crashing of the waves on the shore. It was the most peaceful thing she'd ever seen.

"Are you feeling any better?" He asked, moving to sit beside her. She hadn't told him to go away so he'd taken it to mean she didn't mind.

She nodded. "Yes, Thanks. Sorry about that."

"You don't need to apologise." He murmured.

She frowned, deep in thought and he would've given anything to be able to read her mind in that moment.

"It's beautiful out here." She whispered. "I've never seen so many stars." She'd been surprised when she'd stepped out there just how many there were. It had been so long since she'd left the city she'd all but forgotten what it was like.

"It is." He agreed. He wanted to ask what it was, there was clearly something that she wasn't telling him, but he was afraid. Afraid that she'd push him away, that she'd confirm that she'd never want to be with him, that she might say she wanted to go home and he couldn't take it. So instead he sat beside her quietly, listening to the waves.

She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. He was sitting about a foot away from her, staring straight out at the ocean looking deep in thought.

"What are we doing here Phillip?" She sighed, almost unaware that she'd spoken the words out loud until he looked at her.

"What do you mean?" He said slowly, his mind reeling as he tried to think of something to say. Was she talking about what he thought she was?

The uncertainty was clear on her face as she looked at him, searching his expression for some kind of clue what he might be thinking.

"I don't… I don't know what I was expecting from this week." She mumbled. "Maybe I shouldn't have come."

He shifted closer to her, their knees brushing. "I'm really glad you did come with me." He said softly.

She turned and looked back out at the ocean. The sun was just beginning to appear over the horizon, the sky slowly starting to turn a beautiful shade of pink and orange. For a moment she was mesmerised by the colours reflecting off the surface of the water.

"Yeah. It got you off the hook with your parents." She sighed. "Glad I could help."

"You know what's not what I meant." He shook his head, his hand slowly reaching out to take hers. She stiffened but didn't pull away. "I couldn't give a crap what they think."

"Then why bother bringing me in the first place?" She frowned, turning to look at him.

"Because… because I wanted to spend some time with you." His voice was a barely audible whisperer. "Away from the circus… away from… well, just the two of us without worrying about anyone else."

Anne stared at him for a long moment, trying to take in what he was saying. "But… I… why?"

He laughed quietly. "Why do you think?"

"Honestly?" She sighed. "I don't know."

"I think you do." He tightened his grip on her hand a fraction and she looked down at where their fingers were intertwined.

"I think I know what you're trying to say." She sighed. "But that's not how it works."

"What's that supposed to mean?" He frowned.

"Because there is no universe in which someone like me ends up with someone like you." She sighed unhappily. "Because this is real life Phillip not some kind of fairy tale where we get to live happily ever after!"

His stomach dropped. "I thought you felt the same way." He mumbled. Had he really misread everything that hadn't happened since they'd been in Hawaii that badly?

"I did… I do…" she pulled her hand away from his. "I don't know Phillip, but the thing I do know is there is no world in which this works."

"Why are you so desperate to find a reason not to give this a chance?" He asked, a pleading edge to his voice. This wasn't how he'd pictured this going at all.

"Because." She said quietly, picking at a loose thread on her blanket. "When it all goes wrong, which inevitably it will, I'll be the one who ends up getting hurt."

"Why are you so desperate to convince yourself it won't work?" He argued. "You're not even giving me a chance! Have these last few days not shown you how great we could be together?"

She bit down on her bottom lip as it trembled slightly, willing herself not to cry- at least not in front of him anyway. "No one is going to accept us. I don't think you realise that."

"Does it matter?" He asked. "I don't care what anyone else thinks!"

She stood up, walking to the edge of the balcony before turning back to look at him. "You've never had anyone look at you like that. You don't understand it."

"Like what?"

"The way your father looked at me. Like I was something he'd just scraped off the bottom of his shoe." She sighed. "I don't expect you to understand, you come from a completely different world."

"My family are small minded people." Phillip pulled at his hair in frustration, getting up and walking towards her. She didn't move away from him, being backed up against the railings of the balcony she didn't really have anywhere to go. He stopped when they were just inches apart and he could feel her breath on his face.

"It's not just them." She sighed unhappily. "Being here, it's like being in some kind of bubble. It makes you think it's possible, but when we get home you're going to wake up and see that it's not the way the world works. I need my job Phillip, the circus is my home. If this didn't work out… I can't risk it… I just… I can't." She stepped around him.

He caught her arm as she stepped past him. "Where are you going?"

"For a run or something, I need to clear my head." She shrugged out of his grip. She absolutely should never have agreed to come with him, she just wished she'd realised this a bit earlier. She breathed a sigh of relief when he didn't follow her in to the room. She changed quickly, grabbed her headphones and ducked out before he could try and follow her.

She needed to think.

* * *

"Well isn't that a sight for sore eyes." He looked up from his breakfast to find his sister sitting down at the table opposite him. "You do know you're supposed to eat it right? Doesn't really have the same effect if you just push it round the plate."

"Ha ha." He retorted sarcastically, dropping the fork on to the plate.

"For someone who is on an all expenses paid trip to Hawaii with his girlfriend you're not exactly a little ray of sunshine are you?" She frowned. "Phillip? What's wrong?" She prompted when he didn't say anything.

"I've done something really stupid Ash." He groaned.

"Phillip." She sighed. "Please tell me you've not screwed this up? I actually liked this one!"

He groaned. "Yeah, about that…"

She raised an eyebrow.

"I might've lied to you." He sighed. "Anne's not actually my girlfriend. We work together and she said she'd come with me to shut Mum and Dad up."

Ashley rolled her eyes. "You're even more of an idiot than I thought. Are you the only one that can't see that girl is clearly in love with you?"

"You… but… what?" Phillip stuttered. None of it made any sense.

"Do I have to spell everything out for you?" Ashley sighed dramatically. "Why else did you think she offered to come with you?"

"A free trip to Hawaii?" Phillip offered.

"My god you're more stupid than I thought." She rolled her eyes at him again. "She offered for the same reason you said yes- she wanted to spend time with you! I've seen the way you two look at each other, why do you think I actually believed you she was your girlfriend this time?"

"I hate to ruin it for you." He sighed. "But the whole reason I'm sat her on my own is because she said she wants nothing to do with me."

Ashley looked taken aback for the briefest of moments. "Did she say why?"

"Because this isn't some kind of fairytale where the two of us end up together." He quoted miserably, picking up his coffee and realising it had long since gone cold. He put it back down on the table and looked up at his sister. "What do I do, Ash?"

"Did you ask her what she's worried about?"

"What people will think, the way dad looked at her." He sighed. "That we're in a bubble here and once we're back in the real world I'll come to my senses and we won't be able to work together anymore. There was a list."

"That's quite a list." Ashley raised an eyebrow.

"Tell me about it." He mumbled.

"Is she right to be?" She asked. He looked at her confused. "I mean I love you and all that Phillip, but up until now your reputation hasn't exactly been… well… the kind of guy you want to risk everything for."

"I was a different person back then." He sighed.

"I know." She squeezed his hand quickly. "But it's gotta be there in the back of her head somewhere. She's got valid concerns, you can't just brush them aside."

"So what am I supposed to?"

"Stop sitting here wallowing and go and find her! Go!"


End file.
